Special Olympics Advocates: Don’t Leave This Community Out of Mental Health Discussions

When we talk about mental health, we’re usually thinking about work burnout, social media fatigue, or the rising anxiety among teens. But there’s a population that often gets left out of this conversation entirely: the nearly 10 million people in the U.S. living with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). They experience loneliness, stress, and depression just like anyone else—often more so—but face major barriers to accessing care and are rarely centered in mental health awareness efforts.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis, Chief Health Officer for Special Olympics, and Special Olympics athlete and advocate Susan Wang are working to change that. Together, they recently spoke to The Healthy by Reader’s Digest to break down what mental health care looks like when it actually works for people with IDD, the role of social inclusion in healing, and why it’s time to reframe who we picture when we talk about emotional well-being.

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The Healthy by Reader’s Digest: Mental Health Awareness Month, which is May, reminds us that everyone has a story. Tell us why it’s so important to include the intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) community in this conversation—and why it’s such an under-focused area.

Susan Wang: We are the key to creating change for health equity. When people with IDD have opportunities to tell our stories and have our voices heard, there will be an increase in healthcare equality, which will improve the lives of so many people with IDD through advocacy and understanding. Stories are powerful and showcase that we matter.

Healthcare—especially mental health support and resources—should be accessible to everyone. We should be creating a welcoming environment for people with and without IDD to freely express their concerns. We all have a voice, and it is necessary for healthcare workers to listen, without judgment, in order to provide adequate care. Mental health is one of the most important aspects of well-being, and everyone’s journey is different.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: It’s really good that we have Mental Health Awareness Month to call attention to something that, as important as it is, is often overlooked. And for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, it’s especially important because they’re routinely overlooked in almost all aspects of society—but this one in particular.

The Healthy: Can you explain what intellectual and developmental disabilities encompass?

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: When I think of people with IDD, it’s those who face challenges with intellectual function that can manifest in social, practical, and conceptual ways. For example: reading social cues, using a bus map, or making change at a store. By our definition at Special Olympics, about 4% to 5% of the population has an intellectual or developmental disability.

Since we’re talking about mental health, let’s start with something basic: loneliness. The Surgeon General released a report in 2023 that got a lot of attention—about 50% of Americans report feeling lonely. Among people with IDD, that number jumps to 75%. And loneliness isn’t just a feeling—it has real health consequences. That same report cited research showing that loneliness can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.

The Healthy: Is that because of how we live now as a society?

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: Yes. And for people with IDD, it’s been a problem far longer than it has been for neurotypical people. They’ve been excluded from the social fabric of society that is essential to human functioning. We are social animals—it’s how we’ve evolved. The Surgeon General called out social media as a factor, but people with IDD have had fewer opportunities for inclusion long before smartphones.

That’s where the Special Olympics comes in. We provide a chance to participate, to be seen, to feel welcome—and it makes a measurable difference. A study by Canadian researchers found that participation in the Special Olympics reduced the likelihood of depression by nearly 50%. That’s because it tackles the root causes: isolation and lack of belonging.

The Healthy: Because it gives a sense of purpose?

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: It gives a sense of purpose and belonging. What many people don’t realize is that the Special Olympics isn’t just a sports program. We offer extensive health programming, too. At our events, we screen athletes for various health issues, including mental health through our Strong Minds program. We screen our athletes for anxiety and depression. We give them tools to help manage it and, where appropriate, we make referrals to get counseling and support—support that even neurotypical people don’t get enough of. But certainly people with IDD don’t get nearly enough of it.

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The Healthy: There’s a common assumption that people with IDD receive better care because their needs are already known. Why is that often not the case?

Susan Wang: Our needs vary, and we never know what someone is going through. That’s why it’s important for healthcare providers to listen attentively and be adaptable to change. Communication is crucial. Healthcare professionals need to understand the individual so their needs can be met and they can have a positive experience accessing services. Due to structural, social, and communicative barriers, people with IDD experience two to three times more preventable hospitalizations and suffer far greater rates of obesity, mental illness, over-medication, and poor oral health.

The Healthy: And mental health shows up in the body, too. What are the physical effects of loneliness?

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: First, anxiety and depression can shorten lives in tragic ways—not only due to suicide, which is relatively rare—but because they exacerbate existing health conditions. Cardiovascular disease, for example. It’s stressful to be lonely. The mechanisms of action are harder to tease out, but stress increases inflammation, and inflammation affects everything—from heart disease to cancer. And loneliness also exacerbates dementia, which itself shortens life expectancy.

The Healthy: So what does mental health care look like when it’s done right for someone with IDD, and what barriers still get in the way?

Susan Wang: When mental health care is done right for people with IDD, it creates an inclusive and welcoming environment with sensory-friendly spaces and options for individuals to feel heard and valued. Sometimes people with IDD feel overwhelmed, so it’s important to have safe spaces to decompress—and to understand that a typical medical setting can cause stress and anxiety.

It’s also important for healthcare professionals to describe what they’re going to do before they do it, check to make sure everything is understood, give people a chance to ask questions, make eye contact, and speak clearly and concisely.

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: When it’s done right, it’s really no different than what it should be for everyone. People with IDD are people. It starts with being treated respectfully, listened to, and having your questions answered. From a universal design standpoint, if we made a healthcare system that worked for people with IDD, it would work better for all of us. One athlete said to me very poignantly, “I just want to see a doctor who’s happy to see me.” That’s true of everyone, but it’s less common for people with IDD.

The Healthy: Susan, what are some of the unique mental health challenges people with IDD face that are often overlooked?

Susan Wang: Depression and anxiety, largely due to communication barriers, increased vulnerability, and difficulty accessing or advocating for specialized support. People with IDD can struggle to express themselves and describe what they’re feeling. One way to improve care is to give people with IDD leadership opportunities in health—let us share our experiences and educate others. I’ve often been overlooked by doctors, even when my parents had concerns about my development. We trusted healthcare professionals, but didn’t get answers or support. When I started high school, I fell into a deep depression. I had a hard time communicating, so I wrote in a journal. That helped people see I needed support, and I was finally diagnosed with Autism, ADHD, and a learning disability. I’m grateful my parents pushed for that diagnosis—because now I can learn more about my disability and support my own mental health.

The Healthy: Lastly, is there anything you wish more people understood about mental health and the IDD community?

Dr. Dimitri Christakis: I wish we could eliminate the stigma around both mental health and IDD. The easiest way to fight the stigma of mental health is to recognize how common it is. Four to five percent of Americans have IDD, and one in eight knows someone who does. There should be no shame. These individuals are part of our shared humanity. We need to celebrate their strengths, recognize what they contribute, and make sure they’re treated with dignity and get the healthcare they need—mental or otherwise.

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